Theoretical knowledge assessment of medical students on first aid in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction: The Democratic Republic of Congo regularly faces several health emergencies. The presence of medical doctors in the first line of the response is a spontaneous phenomenon. Gaps in first aid knowledge have been identified in the population; hence the need for training. Medical students could play a crucial role in this context. This study assesses the theoretical knowledge of first aid among them. Methods: Our study is descriptive and transversal. It was conducted from June 01 to August 30, 2021 in the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Graben. Our sample consisted of 279 students. Data collection was done through a survey questionnaire covering various aspects of first aid. Data were processed using Epi Info software. The chi-square test was used to estimate the association of variables with knowledge and a p-value < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: No participant demonstrated a satisfactory level of theoretical knowledge of first aid while 38.7% and 61.3% demonstrated an intermediate and low level respectively. A positive association was noted between the study level, a previous training in first aid and the level of knowledge. The media is the main source of information. Nearly half of the students said they had never taken a rescue action because of lack of knowledge (47.7%). The vast majority (98%) had a positive attitude regarding the introduction of first aid in school's curriculum. Conclusion: Our study showed a poor level of first aid knowledge among medical students, but a great willingness to learn. There is a great need to incorporate first aid trainings in all training curricula in the DRC.